Alan Davies, a Dairy Crest milk&more milkman from Freshwater, will be delivering his last pint on Saturday after a 43-year career as a milkman.
Devoted to ensuring his customers have fresh milk every morning, Alan has been doing the same milk round in the Hunnyhill, Carisbrooke and Newport areas for almost 30 years, but now Alan is handing the round over to Paul Dix and intends to introduce Paul to meet all of his customers before he retires.
Alan, 65, is looking forward to spending his retirement with six grandchildren, who will undoubtedly keep him busy. Alan leaves his house at around 02:30 and delivers his first pint of milk by 04:00, finally finishing at 08:00 – the time when most of us start getting ready for work.
Alan hadn’t planned on delivering milk on the Isle of Wight, but while on holiday here in 1983 his wife organised a secret interview with Dairy Crest. Alan got the job and they moved from Erdington in Birmingham and have been in Freshwater ever since.
For Alan, being a milkman wasn’t just about delivering milk and groceries – over the years Alan has become a friendly face to many of his customers and regularly looked out for their welfare. He has saved two lives during his career, with one customer thanking him publicly after he found her suffering from a stroke.
Paul Wightman, Depot Manager at Newport said:
“Alan will be missed by the team at the depot and by his customers. His commitment and service has been second to none. He’s become an important part of the local community.”
Paul Dix will be taking over the round from Monday 2nd March.
